Chapter no.3

Many people around Sasuke claimed to be his friends, but his heart felt unsure. They were the ones who always surrounded him because he was a wealthy person and came from a prominent family, they admired his intelligence and handsome appearance. People who always made him feel superior. Are they really his friends, or... What kind of maturity can be learned from people like them?

What was a friend actually like?

"I don't know," Sasuke finally answered.

"I figured as much..." Itachi said as he turned the car towards the residential area.

"YOU SAID YOU WON'T TAKE ME HOME!" Sasuke suddenly shouted, making Itachi jump in surprise. The car swerved slightly, nearly hitting a parked public bus.

"Don't shout suddenly like that! We could get into an accident, you idiot!" Itachi scolded.

"But this is the road to the Uchiha District!" Sasuke retorted, angry.

"Wow, Sasuke! This road isn't just for the Uchiha District!" Itachi was irritated. "Let's find a hotel. You... um... need to clean yourself first. Goodness... how many days have you gone without a bath?" He waved his hand in front of his nose while wrinkling it.

"And I also need to eat," Sasuke said, his face slightly red as he realized that he was starving. His stomach growled loudly.

"And you also need to eat," Itachi nodded in agreement while holding back laughter. "Mr. Big Shot. Living on the streets for a few days apparently hasn't changed that one trait of yours, huh?"

"Shut your mouth!" Sasuke snapped.

"Dad agreed for you to come with me to Konoha," Itachi told his younger brother that night. He had just called his family to let them know that Sasuke had been found and was now safe with him (Sasuke, who was stubborn, of course refused to talk to his parents).

"Hn," Sasuke replied coolly as he switched TV channels.

"You should talk to dad," Itachi said as he sat next to his younger brother on the couch.

"No, thanks," the young man grumbled.

"At least talk to mom," Itachi continued.

"I can't stand hearing her cry," Sasuke replied, still not looking away from the TV screen.

"Oh... you're such a handful!"

"Hn," Sasuke threw the remote onto the table in front of him and chugged a lot of soft drink.

Itachi was also annoyed by Sasuke's cold response, but he couldn't do anything. His younger brother's personality was similar to his own at Sasuke's age. Thinking about it made him think of how difficult he was to himself. He felt guilty thinking about his late cousin, Shisui Uchiha, who often took care of him.

"Tomorrow morning someone will bring your clothes here, then we'll immediately leave for Konoha," Itachi said again while taking a can of coke from the table and opening it.

"Aa..." Sasuke grunted.

"I'll register you at Konoha High and in about a week you'll be in class... um... one?"

"Two. I'm in class two," Sasuke corrected his brother.

"Class two," Itachi nodded. "It's the best High School in Konoha. I know someone who teaches there and..."

"Yeah yeah yeah... just take care of it. I want to sleep," Sasuke got up from the sofa and headed to the bed in the corner of the room.

Itachi, who was already extremely irritated, took the armchair pillow and threw it towards his younger brother. The throw hit Sasuke's head, making the young man slightly dizzy.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Sasuke complained while rubbing the back of his head.

"Ooops! My hand slipped!" Itachi grinned. "How can you make friends if you can't appreciate people like that?" he added while shaking his head.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just say you want to be appreciated," he grumbled while taking the pillow from the floor and throwing it back at his brother who quickly caught it with agility. Then he returned to the bed, crawled under the blanket, and slept.

Wow, Itachi thought, where did that sweet Sasuke go? That boy with high enthusiasm and cuteness has transformed into a rebellious teenager it seems.

"Bro," Sasuke's voice was heard softly.

Itachi turned and found his younger brother peeking from under the blanket. "What is it?"

"Thank you..."

Ah, it seems that the 'that' side has not completely disappeared.

"Hn.." Itachi smiled thinly, took a sip of his coke, and started watching the evening news.

TBC...

What will happen next? Come on!